Blanks f



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. H. WEBB.

FURNACE FOR HEATING BLANKS FOR BOLTS, 6:0. No. 246,255. Patented Aug. 23,1881.

WITNESSES; INVENTORI (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

G. H. WEBB. FURNACE FOR HEATING BLANKS FOR BOLTS, &c.- No. 246,255. Patented Aug. 23,1881.

WITNESSES: VINVENTQR:

TINTTED STATES PATENT ()rmcn,

GEORGE H. WEBB, OF PAWTUGKET, RHODE ISLAND.

FURNACE FOR HEATING BLANKS FOR BOLTS, 800'.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 246,255, dated August 23, 1881.

Application filed March 9, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE H. WEBB, of Pawtucket, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Forge-Furnaces; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the aecompan yin g drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention has reference to an improvement in furnaces for heating metal bars for forging, and is particularly applicable to the heating of the metal for bolts or other similar articles which are forged under a drop-press or other machine for forging the same, or for bolt-heading machines.

This invention consists in the peculiar construction of a revolving furnace adaptable to an annular fire surrounding a central structure, on which the furnace is supported, and a shelf placed over the fire, made of some refractory material, the whole surrounded by a shield, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter.

Figure l is a View, partly in section, of my improved revolving furnace. Fig. 2 is a partial view of the shelf placed over the fire, one of the tiles being shown as removed. Fig. 3 is a partial view of the grate and annular hearth, showing the grate made in sections and hinged on the inner side. It also shows the toothed rim and the pinion for revolving the furnace. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the tiles out of whichtheshelf is made.

In forging by machinery, and particularly in forgingsmall articles-such as cutlery, hardware, bolts, and similar articles in which each stage is finished at one heat-it is important to supply the heated blanks to the forger in quick succession, uniformly and thoroughly heated, and thus enable the forging-machine to produce thelargest possible amount of work. To accomplish this is the object of this invention.

In the drawings, a represents a hollow base, provided with an air-inlet, a.

b b are hollow columns. One or more of these columns may be used.

c is a chamber secured to the column or columns b, and provided with air-outlets c. This chamber forms the support of the annular revolving hearth d, having the ash-pit (1, closed the openings g.

with a hinged sectional bottom, and also the hinged sectional grate e. A series of holes is made in the inner wall of the ash-pit d, corresponding to the holes 0 in the chamber 0, so that the air forced into the base a will pass up the column or columns 1) into the chamber 0, and from this into the closed ash-pit d of the revolving annular hearth (Z, and a forced draft maintained, the joint between the chamber 0 and the revolving hearth cl being made sufficiently tight by any of theordinary means to prex'enttoo much loss in pressure. The hearth is revolved, either continuouslyor intermittently, by means of the toothed rim gearing into the pinion f, driven by means of the beveled gears f as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The revolving annular hearth is supported on the chamber 0 by means of a series of balls running in grooves made on both the chamber and the hearth; or it may be supported on wheels, disks, or in any other suitable manner.

Supported on the chamber 0 is the vaseshaped casting G, rising above the hearth, and forming a central support to a shelf and coalreservoir. The lower portion is pierced with outward, has the projecting ribs or brackets g cast on its outer side to form the support for the tiles h. The portion at g commences to contract until it reaches the central opening at 9 thus forming a fixed central support for the shelf, on which a quantity of coal or other fuel is placed ready to feed the fire, being partially heated by the escape-heat, so that all moisture is expelled and the coal is prepared for use in the fire without suddenly cooling the same.

The tiles h h are made of fire-clay properly burned to withstand the action of the fire; or they may be made of any other refractory material that will withstand the action of the fire. They are provided with the grooves h, into which the brackets enter, so as to support the tiles h, forming the shelf.

k is a projecting rim made on the tile; or it may be a metal band surrounding the tiles and forming the edge thereof, so as retain the coal on the shelf.

2' is the coal placed on the shelf, where it is subjected to the roasting-heat of the waste gases.

In the tiles h forming the shelf the openings 7&3 h are made, and coal is fed to the fire through The central )ort-ion bul in Ev P' these openings when required. These openings may be closed with a slide, so that they can be readily opened or closed; but in practice I find that they can be readily used without slides, the coal being discharged by stirring with a poker.

k k is an adjustable hood or uptake, through which the products of combustion are discharged into the flue It, as is shown in Fig. l by an arrow. Two other arrows show the path of the air from the air-inlet to the fire. The hood k is suspended by chains passing over pulleys and counterbalanced by the weights k W.

To prevent the radiation of heat from the fire and allow of the partial closing of the opening between the fire and the tile shelf, I surround the furnace with an annular shield, I, made double, with a water-space, so that it can be filled or nearly filled with water. A waterinlet pipe, m, is connected with the shield and some water supply, and a water outlet, n, is also connected with the shield, the former near the lower and the latter with the upper end of the same; and to prevent any accumulation of steam a steam-outlet pipe, 0, is provided at the upper end to carry oif all steam. The whole shield is counterbalanced by means of the balance-weightspp, secured to chains which pass over pulleys, and have their other ends secured to the shield. As the tiles h h form a horizontal shelf over the fire, an intense heat is produced by the reflect-ion of the radiated heat, and the cooling indraft of air over the fire is prevented bylocating the exit at theouter edge of the shelf and the revolving annular furnace.

The operation of the furnace is as follows: A tire having been built on the revolving hearth, the shield is brought down as low as is desirable, the blast is started, and as soon as the fire is of sufficient intensity the attendant places blanks in the fire at such intervals as experience has demonstrated to be the best, the speed of the revolving furnace being such as will insure a thorough heating, or the heating desired in the blank, at one revolution. As soon as the first blank reaches the opera-tor he withdraws one blank and replaces the same with acold blank. Placingtheheated blank in the forge, he is ready for the next, which, after withdrawing, he replaces, as before, with a new blank, and so he continues, with the slight intermissious when he or some other person attends to the fire, making a continuous operation of heating and forging, done by one attendant without moving from his seat or without moving from any one spot most conven ient for attending to this work.

Having thus described myiuvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the annular hearth of a forge-furnace and a tubular or hollow central support therefor, provided with air-induction and aireduction ports to supply the air-blast to the annular hearth.

2. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the annular hearth of a forge-furnace, the closed ash-pit thereof, and a tubular or hollow central support for the same, provided with air-induction and air-eduction ports to supply the air-blast to the annular hearth.

3. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the annular hearth of a forge-furnace, the central support therefor extending above the hearth, and the shelf carried by said support and extending horizontally over the hearth. I

4. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the annular hearth of a forge-furnace, the central support therefor extending above the hearth, and the shelf, made of refractory material, carried by the central support and overhanging thehearth so as to reflect the heat.

5. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the annular hearth of a forge-furnace, the central support therefor extending above the hearth, and a shelf extending from said support to overhang the hearth, and constructed with holes, so that fuel supported on the shelf may be discharged through its holes onto the hearth.

6. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the annular hearth, the central support therefor, the casting G, forming an extension of the central support, and provided with horizontally-radiating arms overhanging the hearth, and the tiles It h, inserted between the arms,together with which theyform a shelf for the support of fuel.

7. The combination, with an annular hearth or furnace, of the uptake k and the independent cylindrical shield l, as described.

8. The combination, with the annular revolving furnace d, the deflector-tiles h, and uptake k, of the double shield l, filled in part with water, and provided with water inlet and outlet pipes, as described.

GEORGE H. WEBB.

Witnesses JosnrH A. MILLER, JOSEPH A. MILLER, Jr. 

